Andy Montoya
Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese, named after the town of Gorgonzola in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is made from unskimmed cow's milk and is aged for about three to six months, developing a creamy texture with blue-green veining. Gorgonzola has a milder aroma and taste than other blue cheeses, making it a good introductory blue cheese for those who are new to this style of cheese. It is often used in Italian dishes such as risotto, pasta, and pizza.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Cheese | Blue Cheese |
| Texture | Creamy |
| Taste | Rich, salty, pungent, buttery, mild |
| Colour | Blue, green |
| Milk | Cow's milk |
| Pairing | Full-bodied red wine, salads, steak, risotto, gnocchi, polenta |
| Origin | Gorgonzola, Milan, Italy |
| Other Names | Bleu Cheese, Stracchino Verde |
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What You'll Learn
Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese
Gorgonzola is named after the town of Gorgonzola in the Lombardy region of Italy, where the cheese originated. The town celebrates an annual September Gorgonzola festival, called the Sagra Nazionale del Gorgonzola. The cheese is believed to have been created in the 9th century and acquired its greenish-blue marbling in the 11th century. There is a legend from Lombardy that the cheese was created when a cheese maker added new fresh curds to a vat and left it open all night. He forgot about the curds because he was in a rush to meet his lover. When he returned, he attempted to fix his mistake by adding fresh curds to the vat and a few months later, he discovered a new bluish mould had grown on his cheese.
Gorgonzola is often referred to as blue cheese and is exclusively made from cow's milk. It tends to have a milder aroma and taste than other blue cheeses, making it a good introduction to blue cheeses for novices. Gorgonzola is aged for about three to six months under similar conditions as any blue cheese. It has a much creamier texture and appearance than most other blue cheeses and is often only lightly marbled with blue-green veining.
Gorgonzola is available in two primary variations: Dolce, which has a more delicate flavour and buttery consistency, and Piccante, which has a more pungent flavour and firm, crumbly texture. Either can be quite salty, with a "bite" from their blue veining. Gorgonzola is often added to salads, either straight or as part of a blue cheese dressing. It is also used as a topping for steak, sometimes as a sauce with Port or other sweet wine. It may be melted into a risotto in the final stage of cooking, added to gnocchi, or served alongside polenta.
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It is made from unskimmed cow's milk
Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese, specifically, it is a famously pungent Italian blue cheese. It is made from unskimmed cow's milk, which is delivered fresh daily from the pastures of Lombardy and Piedmont to local creameries. The milk is rigorously monitored to ensure it maintains its full-bodied flavour after pasteurisation.
The process of making Gorgonzola involves adding a mixture of carefully selected yeasts and rennet to the pasteurised milk. This mixture is then transferred to large tanks to coagulate the milk and trigger the marbling effect. The milk then curdles to form a firm paste. Gorgonzola is aged for about three to six months, during which time it develops its characteristic greenish-blue marbling.
The name Gorgonzola is protected under the criteria of a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). This means that, within the European Union and countries recognising PDO, only cheese originating from this closely defined geographic locale can bear the name Gorgonzola. Outside of these regions, the name Gorgonzola may be used to designate similar blue-veined cheeses.
Gorgonzola has a rich, creamy flavour and a milder aroma and taste compared to other blue cheeses. It is often used in Italian cuisine, such as stirred into risotto or pasta, melted as a dip, or spread on bread. Its milder flavour makes it a good introduction to blue cheeses for those who are new to them.
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It has a creamy texture and appearance
Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese, but not all blue cheese is Gorgonzola. Gorgonzola is made from unskimmed cow's milk and is named after the town of Gorgonzola in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a much creamier texture and appearance than most other blue cheeses, with a rich, creamy flavour and a milder aroma and taste. This makes it a good introductory blue cheese for those who are new to this style of cheese. Its creamy texture means it can be used as a spread on a sandwich or as a dip, unlike other blue cheeses which are too dry for this purpose. Gorgonzola is also versatile enough to be used in cooking applications, such as being stirred into a risotto or pasta at the end of the cooking process so that its milder flavour is not lost to high heat. It can also be melted into a sauce or used as a topping for steak, and pairs well with a rich, full-bodied red wine like a Malbec, Zinfandel, or Port.
Gorgonzola is available in two primary variations: Dolce, which has a delicate flavour and buttery consistency, and Piccante, which has a more pungent flavour and a firm, crumbly texture. Both variations can be quite salty, with a "bite" from their blue veining. The cheese is aged for about three to six months, during which time it acquires its greenish-blue marbling. This marbling effect is created by adding a mixture of carefully selected yeasts and rennet to the pasteurised milk, which is then transferred to large tanks to coagulate the milk.
Gorgonzola is believed to have been created in the 9th century and was referred to as Stracchino Verde until the early 20th century. The town of Gorgonzola celebrates an annual September festival dedicated to the cheese, called the Sagra Nazionale del Gorgonzola.
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It is named after the town of Gorgonzola in the Lombardy region
Gorgonzola cheese is named after the town of Gorgonzola in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is a famously pungent Italian blue cheese made from unskimmed cow's milk. The town of Gorgonzola, near Milan, celebrates an annual September Gorgonzola festival, called the Sagra Nazionale del Gorgonzola.
Gorgonzola is believed to have been created in the 9th century and acquired its greenish-blue marbling in the 11th century. However, the town's claim of geographical origin is disputed by other nearby localities, such as the well-known cheese-making area of Pasturo nella Valsassina, which has ancient dairy traditions and natural caves that maintain the perfect temperature for making Gorgonzola and other cheeses.
Within the European Union and countries that recognize Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), the name Gorgonzola can only be used for cheese originating from its closely defined geographic locale. Outside of these regions, the name Gorgonzola may be used for similar blue-veined cheeses produced in places like Wisconsin and Vermont in the United States.
Gorgonzola is aged for about three to six months, developing a creamy, rich flavor and a milder aroma and taste compared to other blue cheeses. It often has a creamier texture and appearance, with light marbling of blue-green veining. Its mild flavor and creamy texture make it a good introductory blue cheese for novices.
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It is best served raw or gently warmed
Gorgonzola is a blue cheese, but not all blue cheeses are Gorgonzola. Gorgonzola is exclusively made from cow's milk, and its unique blue marbling is thanks to Penicillium roqueforti, a type of mould used to age the cheese. It is named after the town of Gorgonzola in the Lombardy region of Italy.
Gorgonzola is best served raw or gently warmed. It has a rich, creamy flavour and a milder aroma and taste than other blue cheeses, which makes it a good introduction to blue cheeses for novices. It is also often creamy enough to be used as a spread on a sandwich or as a dip. When cooking with Gorgonzola, it is best added at the end of the cooking process to avoid losing its milder flavour. For example, it can be stirred into risotto or pasta at the end of cooking.
Gorgonzola can also be enjoyed in sweet dishes, such as with honey, dried fruit, and vinaigrettes on salads. In terms of drink pairings, Gorgonzola is best served with a rich, full-bodied red wine, such as a Malbec, Zinfandel, or Port.
Gorgonzola has a long history, with Italians producing the cheese since the late 800s AD. It is traditionally made from pasteurized cow's milk, with a fat content between 25 and 35 percent. The process of making Gorgonzola takes about three to four months, and it is aged for a minimum of 50 days.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Gorgonzola is a blue cheese. It is often referred to as blue cheese and is made from cow's milk. It is named after the town of Gorgonzola in the Lombardy region of Italy.
Blue cheese is an entire family of cheeses that have penicillin mold cultures. Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese, but there are many other varieties, such as English Stilton, French Roquefort, and American Maytag. Blue cheese can be made with milk from sheep, goats, or cows, whereas Gorgonzola is made exclusively from cow's milk. Blue cheese tends to have a crumbly texture and a strong veining of mold, whereas Gorgonzola has a creamier texture and appearance and is only lightly marbled with blue-green veining.
Gorgonzola is a versatile cheese and can be used in many dishes. It is often added to salads, either straight or as part of a blue cheese dressing. It can also be melted into a risotto or pasta, added to gnocchi, or served with polenta. It is also used as a topping for steak or as a sauce with Port or other sweet wine.
